In January 2021, Kwek Hong Sin, a Singaporean, attended a crowdfunding roadshow. She had been captivated by Thailand’s retail environment and founded the crowdfunding platform Sinwattana in 2012 to help Thai businesses, particularly SMEs, raise capital. SMEs constituted over 99% of all enterprises in Thailand, and many were unable to borrow from banks because of strict lending requirements. These businesses suffered from the lack of government support, limited marketing skills and inadequate skilled labour.

However, Kwek felt that Thai businesses were worth investing in. Crowdfunding would allow them to issue debt or equity directly to individual investors, including those overseas. Sinwattana provides consultation services to help companies succeed, and also offers business insights to prospective investors. The Sinwattana platform allows these stakeholders to connect; it provides companies with much needed capital and investors with attractive returns they might not have access to elsewhere.